Saturday, May 19, 2012

Act Now to Protect Squash Plants from Vine Borer

Squash Vine Borer Moth

Have
you
ever ventured into the garden in early summer and found your
squash or zucchini plants have
collapsed, seemingly overnight? If so, you know firsthand how
destructive
squash vine borer can be to all types of squash, zucchini, and
pumpkins. These
deadly pests are actively laying eggs on squash plants in our
area. Once the
eggs hatch and the borers enter squash stems little can be done
to kill them,
making now the time to act to protect your squash and zucchini
plants from
imminent destruction.

Both
organic
and synthetic pesticides are available to control squash vine
borer,
but timing is the key to effectiveness. Once the borer enters
the squash stem treating
with insecticides is a waste of time. To protect plants,
insecticides must be
applied just before the eggs hatch; this will be occurring over
the next four to five
weeks in our area.